Community Archaeology in Belize

Summary

This is an abstract from the "“The Center and the Edge”: How the Archaeology of Belize Is Foundational for Understanding the Ancient Maya, Part II" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

This paper examines community archaeology in Belize: its recent history and contemporary practice. Community archaeology, following the work of Sonya Atalay, is archaeology done “with, by, and for” Indigenous and local communities. It produces an archaeology that is vibrant and meaningful for local and research communities alike. We present examples of community engaged archaeological research from across Belize and from the work of each of the coauthors. Our case studies illustrate the importance of collaboration between researchers, local, and Indigenous communities and the role of education and public engagement across generations. We demonstrate how community archaeology in Belize is on the forefront of advancing both knowledge-making and the practice of archaeology in Belize and is an example for archaeologists working elsewhere in the Maya area and across the globe. Community archaeology produces a better archaeology for communities and researchers enhancing all aspects of the archaeological process and its outcomes.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)   •
• “The Center and the Edge”: How the Archaeology of Belize Is Foundational for Understanding the Ancient Maya, Part II

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Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 40108.0